All things books, all the time

Which Characters Would you Follow into Battle?

I’ve been thinking of this post for a few weeks now. I think I may have been watching a Narnia movie when I came up with it. Pretty sure. Anyway, I want you to do something for me. Get off your phone or computer or whatever for just a minute. Now think of some books with ridiculous battle sequences. They don’t even have to be actual battles. Maybe a particular character or two or ten is embarking on an unknown journey and knows a fight’s ahead. Or maybe a character has been told not to examine something further. A battle can be any sort of conflict for this. Now let me tell you who I’d follow into battle or stand with against the worst of odds.

Katniss Everdeen

There are way too many reasons for my eagerness to stand with Katniss through anything for me to list them all here. Like she said in Mockingjay Part 1, she never asked for any of what’s happened to her. If I have to give at least one reason why I’d stand with her, then that’s it. Because she starts off fighting just to stay alive, and for her family. But eventually she embraces who she is and what she has come to represent and fights for so much more than just those immediately around her. She’s the mockingjay. And she’s ready to fight for me. I’d be ready to fight for her.

Albus Dumbledore

Don’t tell me I can’t say him if I haven’t read all the books yet. My reasoning for choosing him is because I don’t think he’d ever hesitate to help someone, especially a student in need. But eventually he’s going to find himself in a position in which he can’t get by on his own. And I’d want to be there. So someone could help him for once.

Elvis Cole

Y’all probably don’t know him as well as the first two selections, but I’ve talked about him a number of times in the past on here. He’s an LA private eye. I would want to be right there next to him as he faces impossible odds because that’s what he always finds himself doing. I’m sure some of you don’t even read detective fiction, but this guy doesn’t just think of his clients as a means to make money. His clients are people in need. And they’ve gone to him for help. And he never lets them down. He refuses to.

Master Chief

John-117 is more than the last of the Spartans left. He’s more than a super soldier. He’s more than a guy in fancy armor. He’s hope. Mankind is on the brink of total annihilation, but it’d be impossible to give up if you get one look at him. Knowing that he’s ready to fight to the death. Knowing that he will never give up. Knowing that he still believes the war can be won. No. He doesn’t make me want to go into shelter and hope that he’ll eventually come through and save humanity. Seeing him makes me want to suit up and grab an assault rifle to stand with him. To fight alongside him. Even knowing the war may never be won.

So those are the four characters I would follow into battle! What about you? Which characters would you stand with?

I like Tyrion as a character, and he certainly proved his worth in the Battle of Blackwater Bay (or whatever it was called), but when it comes to who I would ride with from GoT, I would have to go with Tywin – can’t say that I like him as a character, but he had a habit of winning battles and coming out on the side of the victor…

Hmm. Steve Rogers, definitely. He’s intelligent, strong, and is willing to throw everything he has into protecting his men and fighting for his beliefs. Sam Vimes, from the Discworld series, for similar reasons. And Aragorn, ditto. Queen Elisa from Girl Of Fire And Thorns. I have a very specific set of criteria for battle leader. I wouldn’t follow a stupid person, but I also wouldn’t follow anyone who was calculating and thought of his soldiers as pawns, or who isn’t willing to take up the responsibility of leadership.

Actually I thought he did a decent enough job in the movie. He had the intensity and confidence of the character down pretty good. I love the books. I’m going to write a post one of these days about all the life lessons I learned from Jack Reacher.

I saw the movie and then started reading the books. And I’m burning through them. I think I have two left. I remember people were pissed when they hear Tom Cruise was going to play Reacher because Tom doesn’t look anything like Reacher.

I have to say Aslan, of course, because I loved those books growing up. Not only Aslan, though, but High King Peter the Magnificent from the same books. He’s flawed, but strong, and cares for his family as best as he can, especially considering how young he is in the first book.

I’m also a big fan of Aragorn, but I’d follow Merry, Pippin, and Gimli into battle more. Though they’re not as intensely brooding as Aragorn, they care for their people with a deep loyalty and also have the ability to find the humor in trying circumstances.

I’d also follow Bilbo in the Hobbit. I much prefer him over Frodo, who I take much umbrage with. Again, a flawed character after he gets the ring, but he’s loyal to the dwarves and wants to prevent bloodshed whenever possible.

Pippi Longstocking. She was one of my favorite heroines in kids books when I was young. She’s feisty and imaginative and protective of everyone she loves.

As for Harry Potter, if I’m following anyone, it’s either Hermione or Neville. Hermione because she’d see things Harry and Dumbledore would miss because of her intelligence and intuition, and Neville because he stood up to the abusive dictatorship at Hogwarts when Harry, Ron, and Hermione were gone. He was the leader, and a good one,at that.